Here is my hands down favorite! The American toad started calling around April 10-11th, and has such a beautiful call. It is a harmonious trill lasting 10-15 seconds and when chorusing the drone is most pleasant. A close relative, the Fowler’s Toad (Bufo fowleri) doesn’t call until later in the season and has a much more nasally quality with a shorter duration. The American toad has 1-3 warts within the dark patches on its back where as the Fowler’s has more. Toads have a well developed heal that they use to dig with. A toad also hops rather then jumps, like a frog would. They stalk their prey on all fours creeping up until they are in striking range. One unique eating behavior is when they eat a worm, they look for the head as eating tail first would cause discomfort because worms have small spines aiding in their burrowing.

Creeps up on its prey

Determines what is the head and what is the tail

Takes a shot

Manipulates the worm to go down head first